Rating: 
Summary: Typical Crabb book
Review: Dr. Crabb wrote this book to share his ideas about the "two basic approaches to life": the "Old Way," described as "deciding what you want most out of life, and doing whatever it takes to get it," and the "New Way," which is "wanting God more than anything, that even His blessings will not satisfy you (Jacket Cover)." The dilemma of every Christian is to "take matters into his own hands" and fall into the pattern of "the old way," which gives the person more control over their situation. They run their everyday lives with their own energy and become sad when things do not go as they planned. There is a sense of selfishness because our needs become more important than the needs of others, including spouse and children-" it's all about me" (66). People expect to receive blessings from God just because they have done certain things "right" (i.e. "godly businessmen who observed the highest level of integrity and expect that God will bless their bottom line") (55). Dr. Crabb shared, "No Old Testament saint was ever good enough to merit God's blessings...none of them earned God's favor by performing up to God's standards" (55), then stated, "We're never more deceived than when we think we're living for God but in fact are living for His blessings" (82).
Dr. Crabb inspires the reader to "value God the most" and to consider blessings as secondary "passions"(103). This statement is not revolutionary because it is a foundational command: "Love the Lord with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength" (Mark 12:30), but instead of offering practical ideas on how to accomplish this, Dr. Crabb reiterates the differences between the "old way" and the "new way." He does, however, offer some vague suggestions on how to live the "new way of the Spirit": (1) Reflect on where you are; (2) Recognized the fork in the road that is always before you; (3) Refocus your goals; (4) Realize what God provides as the means of grace; and (5) Reorient your prayer life to match New Way living (159-61).
When a Christian desires to align himself to God, then the steps Dr. Crabb shared happens naturally. The problem is his recipe for "living a new way of the Spirit" lacks concrete structure. He never addressed the "how" part of living the "new way." He spent most of his time explaining then re-explaining what it means to live in the "old way." He called Christians to live more authentic lives and contrasted the characteristics of both ways. Dr. Crabb said, "Followers of the New Way accept the unresolvable tension in life because their hope is in the invisible God," and "Followers of the New Way struggle to be truly authentic, however their rest is in the present God" (171). He spoke of the end results of living the New Way, but he never addressed "how" one is to get there. On page 174, Dr. Crabb asked a pondering question, "Could I praise God without them (blessings)?" It seemed too harsh for Dr. Crabb to state, "The Old Way is demonic (175)." Maybe some people see blessings as an indication of God's care for them.
The book of Job is an extraordinary example of the "new way" Dr. Crabb discussed (which really is not so "new" since we have a biblical example of it). Job's dedication to God is what our faith should be, but people are generally weak and sinful. People are affected by circumstances and can become distracted by them- which can come in between them and God. Dr. Crabb said, "I'm not wrong for asking God that both I and the one I love will experience deep contentment and rest. But I am wrong for wanting the trouble to go away more than I want to draw near to God (210)." I understand Dr. Crabb's position, but I also know there are other reasons why people ask for blessings. This book is just like any other of Crabb's books-new way versus old way with little practical application.
Rating:
Summary: Jesus and the New Way
Review: I certainly agree with Crabb that we were made for fellowship with God, and that idolatry is our core problem. Romans 1 tells us as much when Paul writes, "For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, nor were they thankful." Paul also says that our problem is that we "worship and serve the creature rather than the Creator." Crabb tries to 'flesh out' this truth throughout his book, and he is a bit redundant in doing so. I think that his message is necessary, because we all need constant reminding that God does not promise us an easy, comfortable life in this world. God is still good even if I should find myself imprisoned for my faith, or my children rebel, or I lose all my possessions, or any number of 'bad things' happen to me or my loved ones.
My one main criticism of this book is: How do I pursue things in this life, such as job, marriage, childrearing, ministry...without being caught up in "the old way?" Crabb does not seem to answer this question. For example, if I'm single and I desire to be married, and I pray to God that He would give me a wife, have I succumbed to 'the old way?' Does desire for wife, family, good ministry, mean that I'm under the 'old way?' Crabb does not answer, in my opinion. So all he leaves me with is the point that I should pursue Jesus simply to have Jesus (a true point), but with no 'new way' to pursue things such as spouse or children or job. Obviously, finding a spouse should not be my life's goal, and we can experience joy in God without one; but this book still left me confused as to how I can love other things besides God (i.e., wife, children, friends) while not living 'the old way.' I know that the issue of loving God and also enjoying His blessings is a difficult one, but I think Crabb has succumbed to too much "black and white" thinking here, and leaves at least this reader with confusion over the difference between proper love of God and His blessings versus idolatrous love of blessings over love of God.
Rating:
Summary: The title is misleading...
Review: I really love Dr. Crabb's style and transparency. His earlier book, Marriage Builder, helped saved my marriage years ago. However, in a later book, Inside Out, I was totally lost and I felt that the author was too.Anyway, this book leaves me with the same feeling Inside Out did. The book lacks continuity and his main points- outlined by other reviewers- is continually hammered in a redundant drone. Many chapters seem to be carbon copies of earlier ones. I kept feeling like Dr. Crabb has a point to make but doesn't have the words to make it. Sure, we are all legalists of sorts, we seek favors and favor from God and we try to persuade God that we deserve it by pushing all the right buttons. We need to passionately pursue God, not the blessings. Linearity, etc. OK. But just at the point where the book needs to pick up steam- "OK, OK, doc, how do I DO IT?" - we just get more of the same and are left wanting. His "solutions" to the problem convince me that he is just as confused by the Christian life as I am. I wish he had applied more Scripture and had dealt with the difficult passages, but he didn't. For example, he shared how John was enraptured by the vision of Jesus in the first chapters of Revelation. OK, but he fails to mention that Jesus proceeds with the seven letters to the churches in Asia, and that in those letters he spends a lot ot time talking about their behavior! "You did this, but you didn't do that..." The Scriptural foundation of this book just seem weak, and I hate to say that. I agree that there is more to being in Christ than dos and don'ts, and I agree with his plea for passion for Him. But, after all the feelings and passion....then what? He raced to the ending, almost as if apologizing for not having more to say. The book maybe should have been titled, "A New Way," which would have flowed more with the intent of the book. Read it and see if it does more for you than me. As in Inside Out, I just don't think we've gotten to the top of that mountain. On a positive note, Dr. Crabb writes from his heart, he has a passion for people, and he appears to be honest in his self-assessments. If only more writers and church leaders weren't such "talented egoists," to steal the good doctor's phrase.
Rating:
Summary: The title is misleading...
Review: I really love Dr. Crabb's style and transparency. His earlier book, Marriage Builder, helped saved my marriage years ago. However, in a later book, Inside Out, I was totally lost and I felt that the author was too. Anyway, this book leaves me with the same feeling Inside Out did. The book lacks continuity and his main points- outlined by other reviewers- is continually hammered in a redundant drone. Many chapters seem to be carbon copies of earlier ones. I kept feeling like Dr. Crabb has a point to make but doesn't have the words to make it. Sure, we are all legalists of sorts, we seek favors and favor from God and we try to persuade God that we deserve it by pushing all the right buttons. We need to passionately pursue God, not the blessings. Linearity, etc. OK. But just at the point where the book needs to pick up steam- "OK, OK, doc, how do I DO IT?" - we just get more of the same and are left wanting. His "solutions" to the problem convince me that he is just as confused by the Christian life as I am. I wish he had applied more Scripture and had dealt with the difficult passages, but he didn't. For example, he shared how John was enraptured by the vision of Jesus in the first chapters of Revelation. OK, but he fails to mention that Jesus proceeds with the seven letters to the churches in Asia, and that in those letters he spends a lot ot time talking about their behavior! "You did this, but you didn't do that..." The Scriptural foundation of this book just seem weak, and I hate to say that. I agree that there is more to being in Christ than dos and don'ts, and I agree with his plea for passion for Him. But, after all the feelings and passion....then what? He raced to the ending, almost as if apologizing for not having more to say. The book maybe should have been titled, "A New Way," which would have flowed more with the intent of the book. Read it and see if it does more for you than me. As in Inside Out, I just don't think we've gotten to the top of that mountain. On a positive note, Dr. Crabb writes from his heart, he has a passion for people, and he appears to be honest in his self-assessments. If only more writers and church leaders weren't such "talented egoists," to steal the good doctor's phrase.
Rating: 
Summary: Learning to Walk in the Freedom of Christ
Review: In “The Pressure’s Off” the author initiates a discussion that may be overdue. Perhaps some may not want to “hear” (or read, as the case may be), the author’s view on the state of Christianity (i.e. church) in the “west”. I suspect that perhaps some may react with similar attitudes as Jesus himself encountered when He made similiar stinging remarks about the “religious system” of that day. In the least I would undertand why this book might make some preachers feel "uncomfortable". It is refreshing to read a book that reveals so much truth in helping people make sense of the reality they see in the world today. Years ago a Bible professor (whose spouse had been martyred on the mission field), shared that “’blessings’ do not conform us to the image of Christ, only trials and testings help us to become more Christ-like." For it is in walking with Christ to Golgotha that we enter the fellowship of His suffering, death and the victory and freedom of the resurrection. Entering this fellowship will result in finding the freedom from the power of the Old Way and the power of death itself. Over the years, I have appreciated these pearls of wisdom for my spiritual journey. I trust that this book will free many that have struggled with God (in trying to please Him and gain His “blessing”). Truth always sets us free (John 8:32). This book helped me to appreciate God’s profound grace and mercy again in a deeper way. Sad to say, there are some who have left the Christian faith in disillusionment, because they were taught that the “blessings” of God is the primary reason why we need to have a relationship with God. Ultimately after having walked the spiritual journey for a time, such individuals found that they just couldn't get it right in order to access those blessings and have given up. For those newer in the Christian faith, the topics discussed could create some confusion, as I doubt many pastors would preach precisely the same perspective of the gospel as Dr. Crabb. I would hope that this book would cause those individuals to become like the Bereans (Acts 17:10-12) and examine more closely the full body of Biblical faith and doctrine. It would help new believers to become better established and firmly grounded in the Word of God and Biblical faith. A careful and prayerful read of this book will help turn eyes back to Jesus and help us all to re-examine our faith with refreshing outcomes. I recommend “The Pressure’s Off” to all who seek the presence of God and a living faith. I don't think any will be disappointed, but you may be delighted to find a new freedom you didn't know was available before.
Rating: 
Summary: Released Pressure!
Review: It appears to me that Larry Crabb is after people both understanding and existentially knowing God, experiencing His presence, irrespective of the rather extraneous blessings of God (health, wealth, peace, etc.). This is what he calls the "New Way" (in fact Biblical consistent New Testament Christianity). As we accept this notion, that our attention must be focused on Christ, not His blessings, then the performance cycle that brings us frustration (pressure) can be lessened. We need to be asking ourselves, what is Christ teaching me or what is His purpose in this toward others? Even if we do not get clear answers, we must, by grace, yet focus on His sovereignty not on our feelings or disappointments. As for the means by which this takes place, he contends we must not stop trying to avoid pain and disappointment as much as seeking God through brokenness, repentance, abandonment followed with resulting confidence and a sense of release(p.182). We need to make a conscious choice to value more God's grace expressed in our eternal hope, than our present life working well. We need to still be obedient to Biblical principles God has provided us, but not to use them as our demand for "the good life." Like it or not, we are under obligation, but bottom line, God is not and this is a good thing. The only criticism I would suggest is that, as with many professional counselors, Dr. Crabb is at times a little foggy in his articulation and theology. He also floats about a bit in this book, making it perhaps twice as long was what was really necessary to convey his thoughts. Despite this criticism, I found the book insightful and certainly very helpful. It serves as a good corrective to much of the silliness that is currently found in significant segments of the Western Protestant church.
Rating:
Summary: This book has impacted me like few others
Review: Last year, Wild at Heart won the honors as the book that impacted me the most. This year, it is The Pressure's Off from Larry Crabb. And it has made an impact on me five times the amount that Eldredge's book has. That's really saying something. This book was very convicting for me from the get go. I believe that this book has a strong effect on me because of circumstances in my life right now. As I read this book, I felt so transparent as to look at my life and realize that I truly have been seeking God's blessings more than God's presence. By doing this, Crabb says that we are really aiming for far less than God can give us. A lot of what Larry mentions in the book is similar to what is found in John Piper's books. Our chief end on this earth is to delight in God and enjoy him. Sure, I understood that when I read Piper, but this book seems to put it in more applicable terms for me. That was one good thing about the book, that Crabb showed us his vulnerability and shortcomings through various examples in his life. I won't go more into the book because I could go on for hours. You can read the description. It really made a lasting impact on me. I can't wait to read it again. For those of you who truly look at yourselves (like I did when reading this book), you will probably get something from the book. For who of us doesn't at some time or another put a comfortable life ahead of the presence of God? And deep down, we know that the things on earth do not satisfy, but we buy into it. This book can seriously make you question what you are living for.
Rating:
Summary: This book has impacted me like few others
Review: Last year, Wild at Heart won the honors as the book that impacted me the most. This year, it is The Pressure's Off from Larry Crabb. And it has made an impact on me five times the amount that Eldredge's book has. That's really saying something. This book was very convicting for me from the get go. I believe that this book has a strong effect on me because of circumstances in my life right now. As I read this book, I felt so transparent as to look at my life and realize that I truly have been seeking God's blessings more than God's presence. By doing this, Crabb says that we are really aiming for far less than God can give us. A lot of what Larry mentions in the book is similar to what is found in John Piper's books. Our chief end on this earth is to delight in God and enjoy him. Sure, I understood that when I read Piper, but this book seems to put it in more applicable terms for me. That was one good thing about the book, that Crabb showed us his vulnerability and shortcomings through various examples in his life. I won't go more into the book because I could go on for hours. You can read the description. It really made a lasting impact on me. I can't wait to read it again. For those of you who truly look at yourselves (like I did when reading this book), you will probably get something from the book. For who of us doesn't at some time or another put a comfortable life ahead of the presence of God? And deep down, we know that the things on earth do not satisfy, but we buy into it. This book can seriously make you question what you are living for.
Rating:
Summary: One more step in Crabb's developing viewpoint
Review: No author from the last 50 years has ever impacted me as Larry Crabb has. He has been my "literary mentor" since my days in college, and it has been a marvelous ride to watch his viewpoints and convictions about the human condition evolve and mature as time goes by. I've read everything he's written (balanced against other Christian authors in his field and even his critics), and I'm still impressed with his authenticity, candor and ruthless committment to his path to Christ in the face of often rigorous criticism. "The Pressure's Off" has to be the most insightful book I've picked up in years. A piece of literary prose, it's not. Those who are not long-time readers of Crabb can quickly become disenchanted with his personable, oft-repeating style of writing. I think Crabb has taken into account that the average reader needs a concept reinforced OFTEN before it becomes understandable and concrete in his/her thinking. I don't think Dr. Crabb intended his work to be a step-by-step practical manual to reach a point where the "pressure's off", as some readers seem to have been expecting. Another reviewer criticized his supposed shortfall of Scriptural usage; when I meet with an old friend whom I'm aware has known Christ intimately for years, I don't expect him to be spouting Scripture in every sentence he says to me to prove spirituality, but I hear Christ in almost every word because I know where he's come from. That's Dr. Crabb to me: I'm aware of where he's come from, he's an old "literary friend" in Christ to me, and I hear Christ solidly proclaimed in every word he wrote in all of his works, and this book in particular. This book is philosophical, not necessarily "practical." Philosophy comes before practicum and methods in most courses of learning. Many can't (or won't) be patient enough to endure this path toward maturity. I'm still learning. But I'm better off having taken a new path at this fork in my maturity path by realizing the "pressure's off" and I can live a NEW WAY! Thanks again, Dr. Crabb. I'm looking forward to your next book with great enthusiasm.!!!!
Rating:
Summary: One more step in Crabb's developing viewpoint
Review: No author from the last 50 years has ever impacted me as Larry Crabb has. He has been my "literary mentor" since my days in college, and it has been a marvelous ride to watch his viewpoints and convictions about the human condition evolve and mature as time goes by. I've read everything he's written (balanced against other Christian authors in his field and even his critics), and I'm still impressed with his authenticity, candor and ruthless committment to his path to Christ in the face of often rigorous criticism. "The Pressure's Off" has to be the most insightful book I've picked up in years. A piece of literary prose, it's not. Those who are not long-time readers of Crabb can quickly become disenchanted with his personable, oft-repeating style of writing. I think Crabb has taken into account that the average reader needs a concept reinforced OFTEN before it becomes understandable and concrete in his/her thinking. I don't think Dr. Crabb intended his work to be a step-by-step practical manual to reach a point where the "pressure's off", as some readers seem to have been expecting. Another reviewer criticized his supposed shortfall of Scriptural usage; when I meet with an old friend whom I'm aware has known Christ intimately for years, I don't expect him to be spouting Scripture in every sentence he says to me to prove spirituality, but I hear Christ in almost every word because I know where he's come from. That's Dr. Crabb to me: I'm aware of where he's come from, he's an old "literary friend" in Christ to me, and I hear Christ solidly proclaimed in every word he wrote in all of his works, and this book in particular. This book is philosophical, not necessarily "practical." Philosophy comes before practicum and methods in most courses of learning. Many can't (or won't) be patient enough to endure this path toward maturity. I'm still learning. But I'm better off having taken a new path at this fork in my maturity path by realizing the "pressure's off" and I can live a NEW WAY! Thanks again, Dr. Crabb. I'm looking forward to your next book with great enthusiasm.!!!!
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